


Hogwarts' Walls

by insertcleveracejoke



Series: Hogwarts' Hallways [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Helga adopts Harry, I accept suggestions of what should happen!, PoC Harry, hmmm Molly will probably show up sometime in the future, so he'll finally have a decent parental figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 19:59:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16002239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insertcleveracejoke/pseuds/insertcleveracejoke
Summary: "Wait, you mean you want to adopt me?"Helga smiled gently at the wide-eyed boy. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"Judging by Harry's expression, he could think of at least twenty reasons why not.





	Hogwarts' Walls

"Wait, you mean you want to adopt me?"

Helga smiled gently at the wide-eyed boy. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Judging by Harry's expression, he could think of at least twenty reasons why not. She felt her heart break in a way that had been familiar over hundreds of years and had never got easier to deal with. Helga was careful not to move too quickly when she leaned forward in the couch Dumbledore had transfigured for them in his office before leaving them alone. If what she remembered and what the Headmaster had told her was true, then the boy had more than enough reasons to doubt her motivations.

"I understand you're confused", Helga said gently. "But I remember, a little, and I know you're a brave, kind little boy, and you deserve better than the people you call family. Dumbledore thought you'd be safer with them-"

"Safer?!", he exclamed, eyes wide. His brown skin didn't show much of a blush, but she noticed his cheeks had gotten darker after her praise. 

"Yes- didn't he tell you?", she frowned. Harry shook his head. The damn man, she thought, being careful not to let her anger show in her face- God knows how the boy would react to that. "I'm going to tell you what I understood from what he told me, okay? I might get some details wrong."

"That's alright, just- tell me."

"Okay", Helga said. "When your mom died, Harry, she died saving you. It was her choice, because she loved you, and that choice and that loved conjured a magic older than most people remember- so old it was rarely used even in my time. While you live with someone who has the same blood as you and your mother, the blood will protect you."

Her heart clenched painfully as Helga saw the way Harry's face went pale with the news. She wanted to reach out and put a hand on his shoulder or arm, comfort him, but she was afraid it would scare him off. It could be good for him to know she was there, though, so she slowly put her hand on his back. He exhaled.

"Does that mean I can't- I can't leave the Dursleys-"

"No, no, sweetheart", Helga quickly comforted him. "There's nowhere safer than Hogwarts. The Headmaster couldn't leave you here during the summers when there was no one to take care of you, but now that I'm here you can just stay full time... If you want to, I mean."

"Of course I want to!", Harry blurted out. He blushed and ducked his head, looking at the ground. "I mean, anything's better than there, and..."

Helga waited for him to finish his phrase. 

"... You seem nice."

"Thank you, dear", she smiled. Nice. That was a start. It meant the boy didn't see her as a threat, and that was a good thing. She tried not to overwhelm him with the way her heart filled with joy at the thought of having another kid to take care of, but it seemed that some of it had showed in her face, because he blushed darker. Oh well, it was probably for the better. Harry certainly could get used to someone feeling happy for taking care of him. "Is there anything you'll need from them? I can send someone to get anything you need there", she quickly added before he could think he would have to go there himself.

"Not much. Most of the things I really care about are already with me", he said. Oh, the poor boy. Helga had to remember to get him new things, even though- oh, it probably wouldn't be the best idea for her to go, but surely there was someone out there who wouldn't mind going with him, right? She'd have to ask Dumbledore... Or, she thought with a small frown, those two kids who had clinged to Harry's side all the time they had been allowed to would probably be a better source.

"Alright. We'll take care of that", Helga promised. He looked surprised. "Who were those two kids with you, by the way? They seem to really like you."

"Oh, that's Ron and Hermione", Harry said, relieved to be now in more familiar territory. "They're my friends."

She was right. They'd probably know what would make Harry more comfortable better than the Headmaster. "Your friends? That's really good, dear. How are they?"

Harry launched into a long explanation of their personalities and how exactly they met, and, while Helga had been a little distracted with his description with a troll (she had seen worse, yes, with Godric, but for God's sake, the boy had been eleven! She had almost forgotten that incident) she was glad he looked a lot more happy than when the conversation started.

(Helga was also glad that Hogwarts, always helpful, had kept said conversation out of the Headmaster's eager ears. His eavesdropping spells were good. She'd have to be careful.)


End file.
